Joints for steel forms, facings and the like



March 29, 1966 w. SONDHEIM JOINTS FOR STEEL FORMS, FACINGS AND THE LIKE Filed March 11, 1964 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. WERNER SONDHEIM .4 TTORN E Y United States Patent Ofice Patented Mar. 29, 1966 3,242,833 JOINTS FOR STEEL FORMS, FACINGS AND THE LIKE Werner Sondheim, Memphis, Tenn., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Permco Corporation, a corporation of Tennessee Filed Mar. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 351,168 1 Claim. (Cl. 94-31) This invention relates to improvements in joints for steel forms, facings and the like.

More particularly, the invention is a highly simplified and economical joint for permanent steel forms, sheet instal curb facings, filling station island facings and the A major object of the invention is to provide a joint structure of the mentioned character which is entirely symmetrical, eliminating the need for right and left hand or male and female parts, the elements forming the joint also serving to reinforce or strengthen the sections of form or facing.

Another object is to provide a joint between form or facing sections which is substantially a hairline butt joint.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary partly exploded perspective view of a joint embodying the invention,

FIGURE 2 is an interior side elevation of the completely assembled joint shown in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective view of the joint.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numerals and 11 designate companion form sections or curb facing sections or the like formed of steel or other suitable sheet metal. The sheet metal sections 10 and 11 have fiat main walls or body portions 12, lower inwardly projecting flanges 13 at right angles to the walls 12 and upper forwardly projecting rounded hollow beads 14 serving to stiffen the form sections and to improve the appearance thereof during use.

The invention proper, as stated, is a means to improve the joining of the sections 10 and 11 in end-to-end abutting relation so as to form substantially a hairline joint at 15. This means comprises a pair of identically formed angle bars or brackets 16, of a length to extend for substantially the entire width of the main wall 12, near and inw rdly of the adjacent end of the form section. As shown in the drawings, corresponding webs 17 of the angle bracket 16 are welded to the fiat walls 12. The other corresponding webs 18 of the angle brackets project inwardly at right angles to the walls 12 and parallel to and just inwardly of the end edges 19, FIGURE 4, which constitute the hairline butt joint in assembly. The webs 18 have somewhat vertically elongated openings 20 formed therethrough near their upper and lower ends. As shown, the brackets 16 extend substantially from points just above the flanges 13 to points just below the concave beads 14 and thus materially strengthen the form sections across the major portions of their widths.

Rectangular guide plates or clips 21 are securely welded within the beads 14, just above the brackets 16 and at the open sides of the beads. The plates 21 serve to stiffen the beads 14 adjacent the joint. The plates 21 are p d a sligh amount from the meeting edges 19 and are preferably aligned with the webs 18 as shown in FIGURE 2.

The plates 21 serve also to guide and secure a semicylindrical line up pin and wedge 22 which enters the concave beads 14 behind the plates 21, as shown in FIG- URES l and 2. The line up pin 22 preferably has a snug wedging action within the beads 14 and behind the plates 21 to further secure, strengthen and line up the joint to almost a perfect hairline at 15.

Conventional bolts 23 and nuts 24 are employed to draw the brackets 16 together and complete the joint in the manner clearly shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. The elongated openings 20 allow for some adjustment to achieve the best possible alignment. The plates 21 and the pin element 22 materially strengthen the joint due to the spanning or bridging action of the pin element across the hairline 15. The concave beads 14 are likewise greatly stiffened by the construction.

It will be understood that the identical type of joint is provided between all meeting ends of form or facing sections and the joint shown in the drawings is typical of any number of like joints which might be employed in a particular application of the invention.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be restored to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a sectional form and facing involving at least two form sections, each form section having a main fiat wall with longitudinal top and bottom edges and end edges, and having a rounded, outwardly ofi'set bead at the top longitudinal edges, the sections being arranged with their adjacent end edges in abutting relationship, a connection joint comprising:

a pair of angle brackets welded to the main walls adjacent to but spaced inwardly of the adjacent end edges thereof;

the angle brackets being substantially coextensive in height and including web portions arranged substantially perpendicularly to the main walls;

the web portions having a plurality of pairs of coaligned apertures formed therein;

the angle brackets extending substantially the full distance between the section longitudinal edges;

detachable fastener means extending through the pairs of coaligned apertures for drawing the sections together;

guide and stiffener plates fixed to the beads adjacent the end edges of the sections, the plates being coextensive with the flat walls of the form sections and fixedly secured to the beads to bridge the same to form a semi-cylindrical socket;

a substantially semi-cylindrical line-up and wedge pin element engageable in the sockets at each joint, the pin element conforming to the sockets and extending into adjacent sockets and bridging the meeting ends of the sections.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 76,614 4/ 1868 Faurot 94-3l 477,721 6/1892 Webb 94-31 688,851 12/1901 Harrison 94--31 1,509,860 9/1924 Cannady 94-32 2,249,979 7/ 1941 Reardon 94-31 FOREIGN PATENTS 747,976 4/ 1933 France.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner. 

